Transfer gate for gravity conveyers



A. J. JOHNSON h-Axsm mm Fan GRAVITY couvnlns Sept. 9 1924.

Tiled March 19 0 5 fihaets neet 1 Sept. 9, 1924. 1,508,369

I A. J. JQHNSON TRANSFER GATE FOR GRAVITY CONVBYBRS Filed March 27 mo 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I72 2/672 Z or.

Arffi ar JJbhJO/Z Sept. 9, 1924, 1,508,369

A. J. JOHNSON 'rmmsnn mm: FOR cmvn'y convaysits Filed March 27, 1920 Sheets-Sheet 5 [22 U672 Z07": Ari/z arf'Jb/znsoiz Patented Sept. 9, 1924.

NIT '51 res ARTHUR J. JOHNSO OF ST. PAUL, N'INNEs'OT- AssIeNO To sTANnA R-D ONVEYOR OOuvrrANY, A CORPORATION OF. MINNESOTA.

TRANSFER GATE FOR GRAVITS? oO'NvnYnRs.

Application filed March 27, 19 2b.v Serial NO. R9184.

"To' all whom it may cement:

Be it known that I, ARTH'uR 'J. JonNsoN, "a citizen of the United 'States,residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented ,new and useful Improvements in Transfer Gates for Gravity Conveyers, of which thei'ollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in transfer gates for gravity ciinveyrs.

v object is to provide an inexpensive and 'efiieie'nt device -fdr transferring articles from a conve yer to an elevator. This transfer mechanism is particularly adapted to handle milk c ans and-similar containers which are likely to be injured or whose contents are likely to be spilled by rough handling. I

A further Object is to prevent conges tion of and injury to articles thus transferred.

The action of my device is entirely automatic. I place a gate on a gravity con- "veyer of common type, at a short distance from the lower end of an elevator having a series of cars towhich it is desired to transfer articles, and mount a lever, connected by suitable linkage to the gate, on the elevator frame. This lever is adapted to be tilted by the elevator ca'rs'ja'sl they pass. Tilting the lever alternately opens and closes the gate therehyallowi'ng articles to pass, one at a tune, down the conveyer to the elevator cars. c

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved transfer gate mounted on the frame of .a 'conveyer of ordinary design andshowing a horizontal section through the frameof an elevator co-which milk cans are to be" transferred; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the gate proper with the gate arms open; Fig. 3' is a section taken on the line 3+3 of Fig.2; and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of my improved" device howing the mounting on portions of a gravity convyer and an elevator frame, together with an elevator car. The positions of milk cans being transferred are indicated in dotted lines.

v Referrifigt th accompanying drawings, Iha iflsed the letter A to indicate a "portion of a conveyer of common type; B a su'iranle vertical lift elvsiter; C a gate actuating lever; D gate arms" and connecting li kage and E a .sectio'ngof rollersnaou ntd "6n the elevates 'aifie.

' The elevator B, shown diagrammatically in Figs. '1 and 4, is of the type havinga series of car trays 1 suspended from an endless chain '2 between vertical members 3 of an elevator frame. The cars 1 have wheel supports 4*, in which twq'paiisor guide wheels 4 are, joi'irnaled, mounte'd' on theirnnder side, the wheels of each pair being separated to allow verticaltg'uides 5 1) to pass between them, and said ears 1 are formed with vertical arms 6 which are joined by pins 7 to the endless chain 2.

The car trays 1 are, formed in two halves with a' connecting bar 8 and supporting fingers" 9, the ends ofthe latter being separated to allow them to pass between the longitudinal roller supports 32.." v i The gate Dfismounted one frame 10 having transverse members 11 (Figs. '1 and which are fastened in a suitable manner to the under side of the gravity c onvfeyer A. Members 12 (Fig. 4:) 01" said frame 10 are formed with bearings l?) (Fig. 3) in which vertical shafts 14 and 15 are jour naled. Gate arms 16 are keyed to the upper ends of said shafts 14; and 15 and bell cranks 18 and 17 are: severally keyed "to the lower ends thereof. The shaft 14 hits a lever 19 p-ivotally mounted on it above the bell crank 18 and the shaft 15 has another bell Orank'20 keyed'to it above thebell Y crank 17. A link bar 21 connects the ends ress of the milk cans as they approach the elevator B when the gate is inthefclosed position shown in Fig.1, and their opposite ends 16 are sharply bent inward to revent the cans from passing the gate when it is in the Open position shownin Fig. 2. The

length of the arms 16 is such that when more than one milk can has arrived at the gate 1), as in Fig. and the gate is speed to permit the first can to pass to the-elevator, the ends 16 will be inserted between the first and second cans as" shown in Fig. 2. -The gate actuating lever G and 4) is L shaped in 'crossjsebtibli has a bracket 23 ig. 4:);bolted-to itajfsh'ortdisems eeve its middle p'e m. ,-{o;n,sne r shaft 24 is rigidlyheld in the bracket '23 and the other end is revoluble in a bearing 25, which is bolted to a horizontal member 26 of the frame of elevator B, to form a pivot for the lever C. The lever C is straight for the major part of its length and is so placed on the horizontal member 26 that when in the vertical position, (Fig. 4) one of the rollers 4 will just clear this straight surface of the lever. The upper end 37 of the lever C is curved toward the elevator frame in such a manner that one of the wheels 4, on the elevator cars, as it passes this point will tilt the lever C to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. The lower end 36 of the lever C is bent away from the elevator frame to present a smooth engaging surface for one of the wheels 4 when the cars pass and thus to tilt the lever G from its dotted to its full line position (Fig. 4). By means of an eye bolt 27 and a rod 28 the lower end of the lever C is connected to the eye bolt 19 on the lever 19. The rod 28 is made adjustable by a turnbuckle 29.

The sectionof rollers E is supported on a transverse member 30 (Fig. 1) of the elevator frame by means of a connecting casting 31 and a longitudinal support 32 and each roller of said section E is individually supported on members 33 of the longitudinal support 32.

A stop 34 is placed at the end of the roller section. E furthest from the conveyer A to prevent the milk cans from passing beyond this point. The stop 34 is supported in suitable manner on a transverse member-35 of the elevator frame.

In operation, the endless chain 2, from which the elevator trays 1 are suspended, being in continuous motion, said car trays pass up through the roller section E from below, the ends of the supporting fingers 9 passing on either side of the longitudinal roller support 32 and the connecting bar 8 passing the further end of said longitudinal support 32, and thus the fingers 9 carry the milk cans upwards as they are transferred to section E by the gate D.

As milk cans pass down the conveyer A they are stopped by the ends 16 of the gate arms 16 as shown in Fig. 1. When the arms 16 are in this position the lever C is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4, and the angular link bar 22, abuts against the hub of the lever 19 to form a stop for the lever 19. In this position the center of the pin, which joins the link 22 and lever 19, has passed the line between centers of the shaft 14 and the pin which joins the link 22 with the crank 20, so that by means of the link bar 21 and bell cranks 17 and 18 the arms 16 are eifectually locked to prevent the cans from opening the gates.

Upon the arrival of an elevator car opposite the upper end 37 of the lever C, said lever will be moved to the dotted line position, Fig. 4, and the gate arms 16 will be opened, allowing the first milk can to pass by gravity to the section E but the ends 16 of said gate arms will restrain succeeding cans from following. The first milk can, upon arriving on the section E, will come against the stop 34 and then be carried upwards by the succeeding elevator car after said car has moved the lever C to close the gate arms 16. When this car comes in contact with the end 37 of the lever C the gate arms 16 will again be opened to allow another can to pass to the section E. Thus the cans will be transferred one at a time to the elevator cars as they move upwards.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a gravity conveyer and an elevator having a series of cars, of means for allowing articles to pass singly from said conveyer to the cars of said elevator, saidmeans comprising a gate formed with an arm pivoted for horizontal movement and extending into the path of articles passing over the conveyer toward the elevator and a lever, tiltably mounted on the frame of said elevator, adapted to be moved by the cars of said elevator, to actuate said gate. 1 p

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a gravity conveyer and an elevator having a series of cars, of a horizontally swinging gate arm, mounted on said conveyer, adapted to arrest the progress of packages on said conveyer and means for alternately opening and closing said arm, comprising a lever tiltably mounted on the frame of said elevator and a rod joining said lever with said arm.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a gravity conveyer and an elevator having a series of cars, of means for allowing articles to pass singly from said conveyer to the cars of said elevator, said means comprising a lever, tiltably mounted on the frame of said elevator, adapted to be tilted by the cars of said elevator, horizontally movable gate arms mounted on said conveyer, adapted to intercept packages moving toward said elevator on said conveyer, and linkage between said lever and said gate arms, whereby the tilting movement of said lever will open and close said gate arms.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a gravity conveyer and an elevator having a series of cars, of means for allowing articles to pass singly from said conveyerto the cars of said elevator, said means comprising a frame mounted on said conveyer, gate arms journaled in said frame to swing horizontally over said conveyer, linkage between said gate arms to cause them to be moved in unison and a lever, tiltably mounted on the frame of said elevator, adapted to betilted by the cars of said elevator and to actuate said gate arms.

5. In a device of the class described the, combination with a gravity conveyer and a vertical lift elevator having a series of cars, of a frame mounted on sald conveyer, vertical shafts journaled in said frame, gate arms rigidly mounted on the upper ends of said shafts and adapted to project across the path of said conveyer, a lever tiltably mounted on the frame of said elevator, the ends of said lever being adapted to be engaged by elevator cars to tilt said lever, and linkage between said lever and saidvertical shafts whereby the tilting movement of said lever will impart an oscillating movement to said arms. 1

6. In a device of the class described the combination with a gravity conveyer and an elevator having a series of cars, of a frame mounted on said conveyer near said elevator, vertical shafts journaled in said frame, gate arms rigidly mounted on the upper ends of said shafts and adapted to intercept packages passing down said conveyer, means mounted on the frame of said elevator to alternately open and close said gate arms and means mounted on the lower ends of said shafts .to cause said gate arms to move in unison and to be locked in closed position.

7. In a device of the class described the combination with a gravity conveyer and a vertical lift elevator having a series of cars, of a frame mounted on said conveyer, gate arms pivotally mounted on said frame, a pair of bell cranks connected with said arms respectively, a link bar connecting said bell cranks, a lever, pivotally mounted beneath said frame, connected to one of said arms and joined by a second link bar to a second bell crank connected with the other arm, a lever tiltably mounted on the frame of said elevator and adapted to be actuated by the elevator cars and an adjustable rod connecting said last mentioned lever with said first mentioned lever. i

8. In a device of the class described the shafts and joined by a second link bar to a second bell crank on the other of said shafts,

a lever tiltably mounted on the frame of said elevator and adapted to be actuated by the elevator cars as they move upwards and an adjustable rod connecting said last mentioned lever with said first mentioned lever.

9. In a device of the class described the combination with a gravity conveyer and a vertical lift elevator having a series of cars, of a frame mounted on said conveyer, gate arms pivotally mounted in said frame, a pair of bell cranks severally connected with said arms, a link bar connecting said pair of hell cranks, a lever linked to one of said arms, a second bell crank attached to the other arm, a link connecting said second bell crank and lever, a lever tiltablymounted on the frame of said elevator and adapted to be actuated by the elevator cars and an adjustable rod operatively connecting said last mentioned lever on the elevator with the lever linked to said gate arm.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination with an elevator having a series of cars and a conveyer arranged to deliver packages to the cars of said elevator, a horizontally swinging gate-arm, adapted to arrest the progress of packages on said conveyer and means for alternately opening and closing said gate arm, comprising a lever, arranged to be actuated by said elevator, and means operatively connecting said lever with said arm.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

ARTHUR J. JOHNSON. 

